FIU and Miami-Dade law enforcement partner for missing and unidentified persons event

Members of the FIU community joined the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Special Victim’s Bureau for the biennial Missing and Unidentified Persons Event.

Kenneth Furton, executive director for FIU’s Global Forensic and Justice Center, welcomed attendees and emphasized the importance of bringing these organizations together — a collaborative effort hosted at FIU since 2019.

“We never stop trying to identify cases,” said Stephanie Stoiloff, director of forensic services division for Miami-Dade’s Sherriff’s Office. “If you have the resources in your agencies, it’s important that you dedicate the resources to support those efforts … no one can do this alone.”

The event showcased the specialized resources and services available to support missing and unidentified persons investigations. They each shared how they work together to help bring answers to family members and missing people home.

“It’s called the silent national disaster because on average, about 600,000 are reported missing in the United States every year,” said Melissa Pope, regional systems administrator for National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS).

Pope added that approximately 4,400 unidentified bodies are recovered every year — a figure she said is likely underreported — with about 1,000 people remaining missing for longer than a year. In Miami-Dade County, there are currently 258 published missing persons cases and 244 unidentified persons cases.

Also in attendance were Stephanie Obregon, case manager for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; Ernest Louis, forensic investigations bureau manager for the Miami-Dade Medical Examiners Department; the Federal and State Compliance Office for Miami-Dade County Public Schools; representatives from the aviation and diving divisions for Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Support Units; Ken Fleming, founder of Recon Dive Recovery – Cold Case Diving; and Lesline Anglade, regional director of the Department of Children and Families.